Summer 2026 part 2: PEI island time

 

Continuing on...

After Nova Scotia, we made it to our Airbnb rental in PEI. Great place! Buggy, but nice views, pretty central, and very comfortable. 

For our first dinner, we went to Malpeque Oyster Barn. My first time, and it was delicious!

The following late morning and early afternoon were spent at a really nice, accessible, shallow beach, where I came away with the mother of all sunburns. Later we prepared our own delicious seafood feast for supper.

The next day, we toured and shopped. First stop, my mother got a special tour of her favourite Island Pottery, then on to PEI Island Preserves for jams and sauces. In Charlottetown, I went a little nuts at COWS Creamery. I came away with two shirts (Macho Man Randy Savage and Avengers: Doomsday. Couldn't decide, got both!), another carton of chocolate-covered potato chips (having already bought one in Halifax the week before), and finished with two big scoops of ice cream.

Wowie Cowie, AFTER the scoop of Moo York Cheesecake

 For our final day on the island, I spent the morning relaxing/recovering while the rest of the family went back to the beach. Later, we went out for one last feed of seafood, did some touring around, and enjoyed a night in.

We stayed over in New Brunswick the following night, and met a friend of my Mom's for pizza. 

A long drive, then we were finally home.

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Having been on my own for most of three previous summers, a family vacation felt very weird at times, being honest. 

On the other hand, the past four months have been a gauntlet and a half, so the socializing and relaxation were very welcome!

Back to the old "routine" next week...

Cheers!

Summer 2026 part 1: Nova Scotia family time

 Decompressing after my first real family vacation in quite some time.

Because of either work, appointments, or my own need for independence, I've spent the past three summers on my own in Ottawa while my parents and sister went to the Maritimes. This time we were burying my grandmother, so going was a necessity.

We left ungodly early on a Friday morning and made it to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia later the following day. My sister and I each got our own hotel rooms, so while those were being readied, went went down to Eastern Passage for some lobster sandwiches, donair bites (something new and delicious my sister introduced me to!), and I found a couple used books.

Later, my mother's cousins and members of their family, who were down for my Nanny's burial, arrived and we showed them around a little. 

I hadn't seen any of them in a good 25 years, so it was really nice.

On my own, I absolutely reveled in having my own hotel room for the better part of a week! 

Writing vibes!

 The service for my grandmother was immediately after the weekend. What was originally planned as an intimate burial with family and a few friends turned into a very respectful funeral attended by many including my cousin, my Nanny's home care attendant who helped her until she went into long-term care, and members of my grandmother's family who I had never even met before!

After a sermon from the minister and a very nice speech from my father, we went outside. Instead of flowers, the family had made a last minute choice to surround my Nanny with dulse (dried seaweed, and one of her favourite snacks).

When everything was done, the family went for dinner at Dianne's, a small Port Greville restaurant with amazing fried clams and scallops.

Over the following days, we took my Mom's family over to Halifax for more touring before the left the next day, went and visited my Grampy MacLellan and Uncle Sean, celebrated my mother's birthday, and I enjoyed one final night of Star Trek and junk food in my room.

After all that, we headed to PEI (See next post).

Cheers